Saturday, 15 April 2017

Cancer Treatment in India

We now live in both the best of times and the worst of times in which to be diagnosed with cancer. In industrialized countries of the world, most people with cancer have access to well-established standards of care, including state-of-the art, expensive, Cancer Treatment in India modalities. For childhood cancer in particular, this has meant that now some 70% of children stricken with many forms of the deadly disease survive or are cured. In developing and transitional countries, however, the cancer picture continues to be quite bleak and cancer is expected mean death. In these nations, it is estimated that 90% of children with cancer die, and only some 10% have access to Cancer treatment at all.

Greatly improved access to information and the development of electronic media worldwide, now mean that most literate people are aware that modern cancer treatments in India exist. When a loved one anywhere is diagnosed with cancer, families naturally want them to be able to receive the best treatment possible. But if they live in a country where treatments are not available or are priced beyond their reach, they look for other alternatives.

This improved information access has created cruel dilemmas for many families. While the well-off of developing countries have always sought treatment abroad, mostly in the USA or Europe, this option is usually not possible for ordinary citizens. Expectations are further raised by news coverage that highlights extraordinary high-tech medical procedures and Cancer treatments performed in the India. Rarely however are mundane matters like the fact that the India is also unique as the only industrialized nation in the world without a national health system, ever mentioned. The reputation of the India for innovation, resources, technological advances, and the generosity of its people has been well known throughout the world. Therefore people believe that miracles are possible if only one can come to this advantaged nation.

In the developing and transitional countries of the world that have any form of health system, health care services may be provided, but patients must purchase their own medications and supplies. Many basic chemotherapy drugs, for example are either not available or are so astronomically expensive, that patients cannot afford them.

It is also of note that due to the changing immigration patterns in recent years, it is likely that patients from any part of the world may have family or friends living in the USA. Therefore, a normal response for patients diagnosed with cancer in a resource-poor country is to seek care in the India.

Developing adequate cancer control programs worldwide is a challenge that won't be met for some time to come, although incremental progress is being made. The most practical and cost-effective long-term goal is for patients to be able to receive necessary care in their home country or region. However, the patients of today need help now. This fact sheet attempts to address the issues and to present a realistic picture of treatment possibilities.